William l



w. L. RIECK AND w. H. BRETALL.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TURNING HOSIERY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20.1917.

.1 ,32 1 ,944. Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

lnvenTors,

WiHiam L. RiecK WulTer HBreTaU Anya.

W. L. RIECK AND W. H. BBETALL.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TURNING HOSIERY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 20. I91]- 1 ,32 1,944. Patented Nov.. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Fig.3.

lnvenTors.

WIIIIUIH LRIecK Walter H.8TETQII AITys,

'NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. RIECK, OF KANKAKEE, AND WALTER H, BRETALL, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS,

' ASSIGNORS T0 PARAMOUNT KNITTING PORATION OFILLINOIS. 7

COMPANY, OF KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS, A COR-- METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TURNING I-IOSIERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

Application filed July 20, 1917. Serial No. 181,899.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM L. Rrnon and WALTER H. BRETALL, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Kankakee, county of Kankakee, State of Illinois, and Oak Park, Cook county, State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement in Methods and Apparatus for Turning Hosiery, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a novel method and apparatus for turning hosiery and similar fabric or knitted articles. In the manufacture of such articles as hosiery, it is necessary to turn the article inside out and vice versa for various purposes such as inspection, and in the processes of manufacture such as the singeing process. In some cases the articles are turned while dry, and in other cases while wet, turning in the latter case being the more difficultbecause of the increased friction due to the wet condition.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a simple form of apparatus and an eflicient method of operation whereby hosiery or similar articles may be readily and quickly turned when required in the course of manufacture.

It is the object of the invention to provide an apparatus which shall insure the complete turningof the articles from end to end and when required the insertion of a supporting blade into the turned article clear tothe end thereof. a

It is the object of the invention to provide a simple form of device which may be employed for turning the hosiery or similar articles in which provision is made for en gaging and temporarily retaining the closed or toe end while the article is being turned, thus insuring the complete turning of the article.

These and other objects of the invention will appear more fully from the accompanying description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawings illustrate a preferred form of apparatus such as would be employed in turning hosiery and positioning it upon the blades of a singeing machine, a preferred form of apparatus or implement for turning the hosiery inside out as in the course of inspection, and in certain steps of the process of turning.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation partially in vertical cross-section of an apparatus embodying this invention arranged for turning hosiery and simultaneously placing it upon the blades of a singeing machine;

Fig. 2 isa side elevation partially broken away and partially in vertical cross-section of the portion of the apparatus or an imple ment for turning hosiery;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 2;

. Fig. 4.18 a view similar to the upper end of Fig. 2 showing in addition the toe end of a piece of hose engaged and temporarily retained by the upper end of the device;

Fig. 5 is a view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 showing the hose in the process of turning.

An apparatus embodying the present in vention may in its preferred form consist of a post provided at its free or upper end in Fig. 1 wherein .a suitable table or bench 1 shown in cross-section has secured thereto and supported thereby in verticalor upright position the post 2. Adjacent the bench 1 is located a singeing machine of the type disclosed in the patent to George Marshall, No. 1,205,099 granted November 14., 1916. This singeing mechanism being fully disclosed in the said patent and its details of construo tion not being involved in the present invention, it is necessary here to describe it only in a general way. It includes a supporting frame 3 carrying a horizontal shaft t to which power is transmitted in any suit able manner. Upon and radially'extending from the shaft 1 is a plurality of arms 5 each of which is provided with a hose supporting blade 6. These blades are of sufficient length to extend from end to end of the hose, are thin and flat and of a slightly arcuate'form. When the hose is stretched over these blades they are carried thereby between the vert1cally depending burners 7 from --whic11 gas flames impinge upon the hose to perform the necessary singeing operation. It will be noted that each blade 6 moves longltudlnally past the post 2 ad acent thereto and upwardly in the general direction thereof.

In the description of this apparatus, such terms as upwardly are used for purposes of descriptlon and not for purposes of 11mitation for it will be evident that the particwith the means provided therefor.

retain the hose. 45-

ular relation of the elements of the apparatus with respect to the horizontal is inconsequental. The post 2 shown in side elevation in Fig. 1 isillustrated more in detail in Figs. 2, 3, and 4t ofthe drawings in its preferred form of construction. Thereinit is shown as a hollow metal tube secured at its lower end ,to a base plate 8 provided with holes 9 by which it may be in turnscrewed or bolted to the work bench or table. The upper end of the post is provided with means for engaging and temporarily retaining the toe or closed end of the hose. 3

It is not essential that the post shall be hollow throughout but it is preferably sufficiently hollow at its upper end to form a recess or depression in which 1s located the means for engaging and temporarily retaining the toe or closed end of the hose. The existence of this hollow or recessed upper end enables'the operative more readily to engage the toe or closed end of the hose hear its upper end.- A ring or collar 1% interiorly threaded is screwed down on the post.

The diaphragm 10 is placed inside the ring 14: on top of the threaded portion of the post'and then an annulus 15 threaded on its exterior is screwed down in the ring 1% until it abuts against and clamps the diaphragm in place. Holes 16 are provided in the annulus 15 fora spanner. 6O

. The method of this invention may be understood in its application to the turnlng ola long knitted stocking although it is applicable-to various forms of hosiery and to other similar articles.

When the stocking is to be turned in such processes of manufacture as inspection where it is simply necessary to turn the stocking inside out or vice versa, it would be sur'licient to employ the apparatus, a. preferred form of which is illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and et of the drawing.

The operative takes the stocking 17 preterably by the top or open endand draws it down over the post to or near the bottom thereof and works or rubs the leg down until the toe or closed end reaches the top of the post; the operative then pokes with his "fingerthe closed end or toe into engagement with the means for engaging and temporarily retaining the fabric which in this case is the leather diaphragm provided with the serrated edged central aperture. The fabric being pushed down through the diaphragm as indicated at 18 in Fig. l, is en 7 gaged and 'temporarily retained thereby.

The operative then seizes the stocking by the top or open end now at or near the bottom of thepost and with one or both hands raises it up over and off from the post progressively turning the stocking. This 0peration is continued until the stocking is completely turned, the extreme or closed end or toe portion beingheld by the diaphragm or retaining means until the stocking is entirely removed from the post.

. This method insures the complete turning of the stocking to the very end or too 'portion and enables it to be done quickly a-nd'easily even when the stocking is damp or wet.

hen the post forms a part of an appara tus as when it is used in conjunction with a singeing mechanism such as illustrated in Fig. 1, the earlier steps of the method are similar to those described. Referring to Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawing, the operative, after drawing the stocking down over the post and inserting the closed or toe end into the retaining means at the top of the post, then, as the supporting blade 6 moves longitudinally past said post adjacent thereto andupwardly in the general direction thereof, seizes the open end of the stocking at or near the bottom of the post and raises it up oil the post and in one movement over onto the free end of the moving blade; the 0p 'erative retains the open end of the stocking in his hand and thus permits the moving blade to enter the stocking and by its move ment simultaneously to withdraw the stocking turned from the post, the toe or closed end of the stocking being retained in its engagement at the top of the post until the stocking is otherwise free of the post, thus insuring the entry of the blade clear through the turned stocking to the closed or toe end thereof.

By this method the stocking is not only completely turned from end to end but the blade enters it clear through to the toe or closed end thus insuring the singeing of the stocklng throughout its entire area.

hen an apparatus such as that illustrated in Fig. l is employed and when the method such as that last described is employed wherein the stocking is turned from ofl the post and simultaneously placed upon a moving blade, such as that of a singeing mechanism, still greater economy of operation results and in fact the entire operation of both turning the stockings and placing them upon the blades can be performed as rapidly and easily by the operatives usually required to do nothing but place the stockings after they are turned upon the blades.

It is to be understood that the construction disclosed herein is illustrative but not restrictive and that the same may be modified within the meaning and scope of the claims which follow.

Having .fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The method of turning hosiery by the use of a post provided with a recessed top having means for engaging and temporarily retaining fabric therein which consists in passing the hose open end down over the post until its closed or toe end is adjacent the top of the post; pushing the said closed or toe end into engagement with said engaging and temporarily retaining means; seizing the open end of the hose and passing it up off the post thus turning the hose; and continuing the upward movement of said open end until the closed or toe end is pulled off from engagement with said temporarily retaining means whereby the hose is completely turned from end to end.

2. Themethod of turning hosiery which consists in passing the hose open end down over a post until the closed end is adjacent the top of the post; temporarily engaging the said closed end with the top of the post; moving a supporting blade longitudinally past said post adjacent thereto and upwardly in the general direction thereof; seizing the open end of the hose; passing said open end up off the post and over onto the free end of said blade as it moves; retainingsaid open end and thus permitting said blade to enter the hose and simultaneously to withdraw it turned from the post, the closed end being retained by the post until the hose is otherwise free of the post, thus insuring the entry of the blade clear to the closed end of the turned hose.

3. The method of turning hosiery by the use of a post provided with a recessed top having means for engaging and temporarily retaining fabric therein which consists in passing the hose open end down over the post until its closed or toe end is adjacent the top of the post; pushing the said closed or toe end into engagement with said engaging and temporarily retaining means; moving a supporting blade longitudinally past said post adjacent thereto and upwardly in the general direction thereof; seizing the open end of the hose; passing said open end up off the post and over onto the free end of said blade as it moves; retaining said open end and thus permitting said blade to enter the hose and simultaneously to withdraw it turned from the post, the closed end being retained by the post until the hose is otherwise free of the post, thus insuring the entry of the blade clear to the closed end of the turned hose.

4. A hosiery turning apparatus comprising an upright post provided at its upper end with means for engaging and temporarily retaining fabric; a hose supporting blade, means for moving said blade longitudinally past said post, adjacent thereto and upwardly in the general direction thereof, whereby hose drawn over said post with its toe end in engagement with said engaging and temporarily retaining means, when seized by its lower open end and passed up off the post and over onto the free end of the moving blade, will be completely turned from end to end and entered clear to the closed end by the said blade.

5. A hosiery turning apparatus comprising an upright post, means for securing said post to a table or bench, a recess in the upper gend of the post and means located in said recess for engaging and temporarily retaining fabric, and permitting disengagement of the fabric by a pull upon the fabric.

6. A hosiery turning apparatus comprising an upright post, means for securing said post to a table or bench, a recess in the upper end of the post, and a centrally apertured transverse resilient diaphragm located in said recess and adapted to engage and temporarily retain fabric.

7. A hosiery turning apparatus comprising an upright post, means for securing said post to a talble or bench, a recess in the upper end of the post, a resilient diaphragm provided with a serrated edged cent al aperture, and means for clamping said diaphragm to said post transversely thereof and in said recess.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification.

WILLIAM L. RIEGK. XVALTER H. BRETALL. 

